Hi Faithful Toddlejoyers:

It has been awhile. A LONGGGG while. Like, a 3 year long while. During that time, we had a third child, made two international moves in one year, and settled into life in Krakow, Poland (our first time living in Europe, believe it or not). So here I am. Back. That’s right, I’m back!

Exploring Crete on a gorgeous spring day

But wait, not on Toddlejoy. In a totally different forum called Rise and Explore. Wait, wait, wait, what is this Rise and Explore business, you may ask? And how is it different than the good ol’ Toddlejoy you used to know and love? Well, for one, it’s much of the same: I’ll write about our travel adventures, give you family travel advice, and share our favorite, coveted travel destinations and accommodations. My husband still complains I give away our best kept secrets. I will muse less about parenting — unless, of course, it is related to traveling with kids — and I guarantee fantastic photography (I have been working on it, you know). There will, sadly, be less of Thailand due to our current geographical location. But, there will be much more of Europe this time around. This time next year, we’ll be moving to a new undisclosed (even to us) location, and then the geographical content will shift again – so stay tuned! And finally, the whole look and feel of my new blog will be more professional, because while Toddlejoy started out as a personal blog for me to share my creative side, Rise and Explore is starting as a professional travel blog for those looking to find the most family-friendly destinations, activities, and places to stay in this big wide world. I’ll also be adding a new section (“Low-Down”) that has itineraries set to go for different destinations. That’s right, when you decide to go somewhere we’ve already been, the work has already been done for you. Just check out our itineraries, copy what you like, and go. Really, it’s that simple.

So, I hope you will continue to follow our crazy, wild adventures around the globe. I promise equally as good of content (if not better), beautiful visuals, and a lot of laughs. I hope you’ll subscribe to Rise and Explore, follow Rise and Explore on Instagram or Facebook.

See you on the flip side, my friends!